Orient · لِمَاذَا هٰذَا مُهِمٌّ؟
Why demonstratives matter
Demonstratives help you point to people and things, identify objects, describe places and make your meaning precise.
Near
هٰذَا / هٰذِهِ / هٰؤُلَاءِ
this / thesedistance →
Far
ذٰلِكَ / تِلْكَ / أُولٰئِكَ
that / thoseChoose Your Route · اِخْتَرْ مَسَارَكَ
Use the chapter at the depth you need
Core
- Use هٰذَا، هٰذِهِ، هٰؤُلَاءِ.
- Match singular and plural forms.
- Build short identification sentences.
Develop
- Use ذٰلِكَ، تِلْكَ، أُولٰئِكَ.
- Distinguish human and non-human plurals.
- Translate between English and Arabic.
Stretch
- Use dual forms accurately.
- Recognise case-sensitive dual forms.
- Explain definiteness in demonstrative noun phrases.
Core Forms · أَسْمَاءُ الْإِشَارَةِ لِلْقَرِيبِ
Near demonstratives: this and these
| Meaning | Form | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| this | هٰذَا | masculine singular | هٰذَا طَالِبٌ. |
| this | هٰذِهِ | feminine singular | هٰذِهِ طَالِبَةٌ. |
| these | هٰؤُلَاءِ | human plural, male, female or mixed | هٰؤُلَاءِ طُلَّابٌ. |
Key point: Arabic does not use one single word for “this”. You must choose according to the grammatical gender of the noun.
Develop · أَسْمَاءُ الْإِشَارَةِ لِلْبَعِيدِ
Far demonstratives: that and those
| Meaning | Form | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| that | ذٰلِكَ | masculine singular | ذٰلِكَ بَيْتٌ. |
| that | تِلْكَ | feminine singular | تِلْكَ مَدْرَسَةٌ. |
| those | أُولٰئِكَ | human plural | أُولٰئِكَ مُعَلِّمُونَ. |
Pronunciation note: the dagger alif in forms such as هٰذَا and ذٰلِكَ represents a long ā sound, even though it is not written as an ordinary alif.
Notice · الْمُطَابَقَةُ وَالْمَعْنَى
Gender, number and human reference
Masculine singular
هٰذَا كِتَابٌ جَدِيدٌ.
This is a new book.
Feminine singular
هٰذِهِ حَقِيبَةٌ جَدِيدَةٌ.
This is a new bag.
Human plural
هٰؤُلَاءِ طَالِبَاتٌ مُجْتَهِدَاتٌ.
These are hardworking female students.
Important non-human plural rule: non-human plurals are usually treated grammatically as feminine singular. Therefore Arabic commonly uses هٰذِهِ or تِلْكَ with them.
هٰذِهِ كُتُبٌ مُفِيدَةٌ.
These are useful books.
تِلْكَ سَيَّارَاتٌ سَرِيعَةٌ.
Those are fast cars.
Stretch · أَسْمَاءُ الْإِشَارَةِ لِلْمُثَنَّى
Dual demonstratives
| Meaning | Nominative | Accusative / genitive | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| these two — masculine | هٰذَانِ | هٰذَيْنِ | هٰذَانِ طَالِبَانِ. |
| these two — feminine | هَاتَانِ | هَاتَيْنِ | هَاتَانِ طَالِبَتَانِ. |
| those two — masculine | ذَانِكَ | ذَيْنِكَ | ذَانِكَ طَالِبَانِ. |
| those two — feminine | تَانِكَ | تَيْنِكَ | تَانِكَ طَالِبَتَانِ. |
Revision boundary: dual forms are valuable extra support. Students should first secure the core singular and plural forms before studying case changes.
Interactive Builder · مَصْنَعُ أَسْمَاءِ الْإِشَارَةِ
Build a demonstrative sentence
Choose distance and noun type
Reading Workshop · وَرْشَةُ الْقِرَاءَةِ
Follow demonstratives through a description
هٰذَا مَتْحَفٌ جَدِيدٌ، وَهٰذِهِ قَاعَةٌ كَبِيرَةٌ. هٰؤُلَاءِ زُوَّارٌ مِنْ بِلَادٍ مُخْتَلِفَةٍ. فِي آخِرِ الْقَاعَةِ تِلْكَ صُورٌ قَدِيمَةٌ، وَذٰلِكَ تِمْثَالٌ مَشْهُورٌ. أُولٰئِكَ مُرْشِدُونَ يَشْرَحُونَ تَارِيخَ الْمَكَانِ.
This is a new museum, and this is a large hall. These are visitors from different countries. At the end of the hall, those are old pictures, and that is a famous statue. Those are guides explaining the history of the place.
Reading check
1. What does هٰذِهِ refer to?
قَاعَةٌ is feminine singular.
2. Why is تِلْكَ used with صُوَرٌ?
Non-human plurals commonly take feminine singular agreement.
3. Who are أُولٰئِكَ?
أُولٰئِكَ مُرْشِدُونَ means “those are guides”.
Translation Workshop · التَّرْجَمَةُ مِنَ الْإِنْجِلِيزِيَّةِ إِلَى الْعَرَبِيَّةِ
Translate accurately
Core translation
- This is a teacher. (male)
- This is a school.
- These are students.
- That is a house.
- Those are teachers.
Develop and Stretch
- These are useful books.
- Those are fast cars.
- These two are female students.
- Those two are male teachers.
- This new library is large.
Write your translations before revealing the model answers
Choose the method that suits you. Complete all ten sentences, then open the model translations to check and improve your work.
Write the ten translations in your exercise book or on lined paper.
- Number your answers 1–10.
- Check distance, gender, number and definiteness.
- Open the model translations only after finishing.
- Correct your work in a different colour.
Keep the lesson open while you write so that you can refer to the Core and Develop prompts above.
Reveal model translations
هٰذَا مُعَلِّمٌ.
هٰذِهِ مَدْرَسَةٌ.
هٰؤُلَاءِ طُلَّابٌ.
ذٰلِكَ بَيْتٌ.
أُولٰئِكَ مُعَلِّمُونَ.
هٰذِهِ كُتُبٌ مُفِيدَةٌ.
تِلْكَ سَيَّارَاتٌ سَرِيعَةٌ.
هَاتَانِ طَالِبَتَانِ.
ذَانِكَ مُعَلِّمَانِ.
هٰذِهِ الْمَكْتَبَةُ الْجَدِيدَةُ كَبِيرَةٌ.
Curriculum Connection · الصِّلَةُ بِالْمَنْهَجِ
Why this grammar matters for confident Arabic communication
Listening
Demonstratives help identify which person, place or object a speaker means.
Reading
Students must track reference across descriptions, notices and narratives.
Speaking
They support descriptions of pictures, places, people and objects.
Writing
They make descriptions more precise and reduce repetition.
Detailed exam drills: picture-based tasks, timed comprehension and assessment-criteria analysis belong in the separate Mastery & Revision / Exam Skills section.
Grammar Playground · مَلْعَبُ الْقَوَاعِدِ
Learn by pointing, matching and choosing
🟢 Explorer · recognise🔵 Builder · apply🟣 Scholar · explain🟠 Communicator · communicate⭐ Mastery · teach it
Each preserved game now appears beside the language point it practises.
Error Clinic · عِيَادَةُ الْأَخْطَاءِ
Common mistakes and how to repair them
Wrong gender
✗ هٰذَا سَيَّارَةٌ.
Correct
✓ هٰذِهِ سَيَّارَةٌ.
سَيَّارَةٌ is feminine.
Human plural form with things
✗ هٰؤُلَاءِ كُتُبٌ.
Correct
✓ هٰذِهِ كُتُبٌ.
Non-human plurals normally take feminine singular agreement.
Near/far confusion
✗ ذٰلِكَ كِتَابٌ هُنَا.
Better
✓ هٰذَا كِتَابٌ هُنَا.
Use the near form when the object is close.
Dual mismatch
✗ هٰذَانِ طَالِبَتَانِ.
Correct
✓ هَاتَانِ طَالِبَتَانِ.
Feminine dual uses هَاتَانِ.
Consolidate · رَاجِعْ وَأَثْبِتْ تَعَلُّمَكَ
Final mastery check
Demonstrative Pronoun Review
1. Choose “this” for a feminine singular noun.
Feminine singular = هٰذِهِ.
2. Choose “these” for human plural.
Human plural near = هٰؤُلَاءِ.
3. Choose “that” for a feminine singular noun.
Feminine singular far = تِلْكَ.
4. Choose “these” for non-human plural books.
Non-human plurals commonly take feminine singular agreement.